Infant mortality rate in Upper East is high

Bolgatanga, Oct. 27, GNA - Builsa District recorded the highest infant mortality rate in Upper East Region last year with 131 deaths. Bolgatanga Municipality recorded 114, Bawku Municipality 107, Kassena-Nankana 80, Zebilla 20, Garu-Tempane 16 and Bongo District 12. Mr Issaka Sagito, Upper East Regional Economic Planning Officer, announced this at the Upper East Regional Development Review meeting in Bolgatanga.

He said malaria remained the major cause of morbidity therefore; efforts should be made to combat it adding 93The situation gives enough cause for alarm."

The Planning Officer said 17,010 insecticide treated bed nets were distributed in the region last year, compared to 86,834 nets distributed in 2004.

Garu-Tempane District received 8,410, Bongo district 5,000, Bawku Municipality 3,000 while Builsa District had 600.

Mr Sagito said distribution of bed nets had proved effective in the reduction of malaria cases in the region, except in Zebilla and Builsa Districts where increases in the incidence of malaria were recorded since 2003.

Mr Sagito urged Municipal and District Assemblies to be involved in the distribution of treated nets, because promoting the health status of the people had a direct bearing on their development efforts. On HIV/AIDS prevalence, he said available statistics from four out of the eight municipal and districts, Bolgatanga Municipal was leading with 179 cases followed by Bawku Municipal with 134 cases. Bongo District recorded 68 cases, Zebilla District 63 cases and Builsa District 53 cases.

Mr Sagito said with regard to the statistics from Bolgatanga, Bawku and Builsa, last year's figures indicated an increase over the situation in 2004.

Bolgatanga Municipality recorded 83 cases; Bawku had 84 cases Builsa 36 while Zebilla District recorded a decrease from 71 cases in 2004 to 63 in 2005.

Mr Sagito noted that the Doctor-Population ratio in the region remained one of the highest in the country.

Giving a district-by-district analysis based on 2005 statistics, he said the ratio for Kassena-Nankana was 1:75,000, Bawku 1:28,000, Zebilla 1:28,000, Bongo 1:20,000, Builsa 1:19,000 and Bolgatanga1:16,000. On the way forward, Mr Sagito suggested a sustained public education campaign on HIV/AIDS, reduction of the incidence of malaria through improved environmental sanitation and provision of more insecticide treated nets especially for pregnant mothers and children. Others were early referral and treatment of infected children and the provision of more functional Community Health Compounds in the remote parts of the region. 27 Oct. 06